Election Administration

Election Law

Electoral College in Maine

Selection of Electors in Maine

Qualified Party Candidates

The candidates for Presidential Elector are chosen at the State Party Convention. After the national nominating convention, each party will make an official communication from the National or State Party Committee to the Secretary of State of their party's nominees for President, Vice President and Presidential Electors. The names of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are placed on the ballot, along with their party name.

Non-Party Candidates

Candidates achieving ballot access from parties that are not qualified in Maine are considered "non-party" candidates.

Electoral College Proceedings

Candidates for Election

Parties

Qualified Parties

The qualified parties choose their nominees for President and Vice President at the national nominating convention of their political party.

Independent Candidates

Non-qualified party candidates gain access to the ballot by circulating nominating petitions containing the names of the Presidential, Vice Presidential and Presidential Elector candidates as a slate of offices to be nominated. The petitions may be circulated between January 1 and August 15 of the presidential election year. To be nominated, the candidates' petitions must contain the signatures of between 4,000 and 6,000 registered Maine voters (who may be enrolled in a political party or who may be unenrolled). The deadline for these petitions to be submitted to the Secretary of State in 2004 is August 16th, as the statutory deadline falls on a Sunday.

Write-in Candidates

Write-in candidates must meet the following criteria:

Fulfills the qualifications for the office designated

Has filed a "Declaration of Write-in Candidacy" either before the election or no later than 3 business days after the election.